Moroccan journalist is released after 10 months in prison

RABAT, Morocco – Moroccan journalist Hicham Mansouri has been released from prison after serving a 10-month sentence for adultery in a case that rights groups described as politically driven.

Speaking to reporters after his release Sunday, Mansouri described police questioning that largely deviated from the charges he faced, focusing instead on his connection with Islamist movements and other activities. He also described violence in prison.

Mansouri, a coordinator with the Moroccan Association for Investigative Journalism, faces other legal challenges. He is among seven activists and journalists facing another trial on Jan. 27 for charges that span from "threats to national security" to "failure to report foreign subsidies."

Activists say the Moroccan government has cracked down on dissent, often in the name of averting the extremist violence seen elsewhere in the region.